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Patriot's Day: Commemorating 9/11 with The Gadsden Flag

The Gadsden Flag has a brilliant yellow background with a coiled rattlesnake ready to strike. The words "Don't Tread On Me" are centered below the snake.

The Gadsden Flag History: Don't Tread On Me

The flag was named after Christopher Gadsden ofSouth Carolina, a Colonel in the Continental Army. A member of the Marine Committee of the Continental Congress, Gadsden and his fellow committee members decided to outfit the burgeoning country's new Navy. In 1775, he designed the flag and then presented it to Commodore Esek Hopkins ofRhode Island, the first commander-in-chief of the Continental Fleet.

The Gadsden Flag and 9/11

After the tragic events of 9/11, American patriotism surged and the American flag was in great demand. Kerry McCoy, owner of Flag and Banner in Little Rock, Arkansas remembers the days that followed. "There was suddenly a scarcity of American flags to purchase. We sold out of every American flag we had in stock. Our business was not the only one this happened to. As an alternative to the American flag, requests came pouring in for the Gadsden Flag," McCoy said.

"The Gadsden Flag seemed to be the appropriate representation of how the people of our nation felt. The phrase 'Don't Tread On Me' took on renewed significance as did the rattlesnake, an historic symbol of resistance against tyranny," she said. "It seems to have once again become a popular symbol of freedom and resolve in America," she added.

Flag and Banner, located inLittle Rock, Arkansas, is currently flying the largest Gadsden flag in the world. It measures 15' x 25'.

The Gadsden flag and the American flag can be purchased at http://flagandbanner.com/fab/productpage.asp?id=HGADS35

For a concise history of the American Flag, see http://www.FlagandBanner.com/fab/flag.asp?cpage=history1.

Other information on the Flag and Banner website includes:

Half Mast E-mail Alert - To register for a free email alert notification when the President calls for the flag to be lowered to half mast, register at http://www.flagandbanner.com/mlsubscription.asp.

For more information on flags or to purchase patriotic items, visit http://www.FlagandBanner.com.

SOURCE FlagandBanner.com